The present disclosure relates to fiber optic cables and more specifically to fiber optic cables having a structure that segregates groups of optical fibers within the cable.
In a fiber optic network, numerous connections between fiber optic cables are required. The present standard in the art utilizes male and female industry-standard MTP connectors, which employ precision guide pins to align the internal fibers of the fiber optic cable, when connecting fiber optic cables. An MTP connector typically connects a multi-fiber cable having twelve optical fibers.
Individual fibers in a multi-fiber cable are often distinguished from one another by color-coded jackets or buffers and an identification scheme has been developed to allow for rapid identification of the optical fibers. This is important because connecting an MTP connector correctly to a multi-fiber cable requires precise knowledge of the connection scheme of the optical fibers in the cable. The current color identification scheme includes 12 distinct colors that are used to identify the fibers.
With the amount of data to be transmitted increasing, data centers are now using fiber optic cables containing, for example, 24 optical fibers and 24 fiber MTP optical connectivity hardware to connect the 24 fiber cable to various devices. The 24 fiber cable improves efficiency as well as data transmission density and bandwidth. For cables having more than twelve fibers, the standard 12 color code must repeat itself. Thus, in the case of a 24 fiber cable, there are two optical fibers identified with each of the colors. The two groups can be distinguished by adding, for example, a stripe or some other identifying indicia to one set of fibers. Applying a dash or stripe to the fibers, however, requires operating at a low line speed, rendering the manufacturing process less efficient.
Alternatively, fiber groups can be distinguished by bundling one of the fiber groups, such as by wrapping the group in a binder thread. However, the thread binder can untwist while removing the cable jacket so that the installer can no longer distinguish between the fiber groups.